Power of Darkness
by JoyfulMariska
Summary: The call to action came amidst the darkness of the night. No one knew what the dark meant. No one knew its power, its strength to change their lives. They had no idea it could go so far as to take one.
1. Chapter 1

**This story is going to unfold very quickly. The action picks up in the next chapter. Tell me what you think!**

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><p>Olivia was sleeping the best she had in months when her phone buzzing on the nightstand startled her into alertness. She checked the time before looking at the text: 3:20 A.M. She'd only been home for three hours. No doubt it was duty calling. The message that popped up was short and concise. As commanding officer of SVU, she always got the bad news first.<p>

_Homicide at 205 West 91st Street. Your card was found on the vic._

As always, Olivia furrowed her brow. Did she know the victim? It was always harder than usual to see a man or woman she'd tried to save lying dead without having a chance to recover. She slowly woke herself up, slipping into a pair of jeans and reapplying a small amount of makeup. Noah slept soundly in his crib near her bed.

She smiled a little, even through the darkness of the early morning. Only two months after she'd become his foster mother, she already knew his little hand held her heart completely. He loved her right back.

She called her sitter, waiting at the door when her son began his whimpering. He knew she was leaving. Olivia held him close, keeping every opportunity to do so sacred. When Alicia came through the door, Olivia kissed Noah's forehead gently, then handed him to her. Her phone at her ear was sure to wake her partner as well. He picked up. Both Fin and Amanda did too.

Olivia didn't even bother taking a cab to the crime scene. The lights flashing blue and red were only two blocks away from the front door of her apartment building. She trudged through the sticky summer air as the city's lights reflected off her badge into the night.

The moment she showed her badge, the sign of authority that she'd just felt like she'd gotten back, she felt something. Something was not right. That feeling only worsened as she bent over and lit the victim's face with her flashlight beam. The coil of chills sent down her spine had power enough to give her goose bumps that covered her entire body. She knew the face of the lifeless body lying in front of her. She wasn't sure how, but she knew.

The chills faded into the humidity of the night. It wasn't anything new, knowing the face of stone that lay on a dead body in the clutches of the darkness of another world. Olivia had to keep herself on track. She had to keep her head so that everyone else in her squad room could. As soon as she stood up again, she was handed a bag with her card in it. The CSU technician took it back after she'd confirmed it was her own.

"Where did you find it?" Olivia blinked rapidly to keep herself awake.

The man took his kit in his hands as he moved to turn away.

"It was in her right front pocket. We were looking for identification before the medical examiner got here." He glanced back at the mutilated body briefly.

"Doctor Warner's en route." He finished as he turned to go.

The mist in the air was the only company the officers had as more arrived on the scene. Olivia shuddered as she stood there thinking. She grabbed one of the woman's arms as she moved away from the body, collecting evidence.

"Is this the primary crime scene?" She asked quickly.

The woman nodded. "As of now – the amount of blood, the position of the body – it looks like this is where she was killed."

Olivia's chills returned. In all her years on the force, she'd never been on a case where the crime had occurred so close to where she lived. This woman had been violently murdered while Olivia slept soundly. It was enough to rattle even the seasoned sergeant.

The next time she turned around, Nick was stepping on the scene, exhaustion already written in his glossy eyes. Melinda and her team followed closely behind him. Nick glanced at the body with a hitch in his breath.

"She was assaulted?" He questioned quietly.

Olivia shook her head a little.

"How'd we catch this case, then?"

"They found my card on her. I remember her – just don't know from where." Olivia swallowed as she stared down.

Melinda bent down to her, immediately taking liver temperature for the report she'd later file. The two officers stood behind her, waiting for results to begin their investigation.

"With this humidity, I'd say she's been here no longer than two – maybe three hours." Doctor Warner spoke directly to Nick and Olivia.

"I'll let you guys know COD as soon as I can."

The team loaded up the lifeless body and moved out, leaving CSU with a pool of blood.

"Hey." The voice came from behind them. Amanda approached, seemingly out of breath.

"Female vic, stab wounds, ligature marks – died here two to three hours ago." Nick spoke as if the words were easy.

"How are we working this, Serg?" Amanda looked up at Olivia.

Olivia snapped out of her temporary daze almost instantaneously. "As soon as Fin gets here, Nick and I will head back to the precinct. You can get primary information from CSU here and relay it back to us. When they're finished, you guys come back in and we can try to piece this together."

She took charge as naturally as anyone could. The night pressed on as the detectives followed their leader's orders.

* * *

><p>Half an hour after Fin arrived at the crime scene, Nick and Olivia walked into the precinct. Olivia put her phone to her ear as her partner in the squad room searched for businesses nearby for possible security footage. Warner picked up.<p>

"Just checking in. You have anything we could use?"

_ "We checked for ID at the scene and found nothing. All she had on her was a necklace. I'll send you a picture." _

"Thanks, Melinda." Olivia pushed her hand to her forehead, trying to keep the sleep from tugging at her eyelids as she waited for the picture to come through.

The photo popped up seconds later, the necklace shaped like a dagger. Nick heard her voice come through the doorway of her office as she stood up. He'd gotten the photo too.

"Will you run this through our databases? Maybe we'll get lucky."

He nodded to her before she disappeared again. She seemed off, but he said nothing. He knew better.

The images flashed on the large computer screen as it searched for any kind of structural match in the police database. It wasn't two minutes after Olivia sat back down in her desk that her phone rang.

_"Sergeant Benson – I think we just ID'd the last vic. The 2-4 precinct called. That dead girl escaped from prison earlier this week. Her name is Sara Connelly."_

Olivia sat straighter in her chair. She knew that name, and she could place it.

"Why didn't we know about this earlier? An escaped convict-"

_ "The prison thought it should keep it on the down-low before blowing it out of proportion." _

Liv rolled her eyes. "And we had people walking around out there all week not knowing there was an escaped murderer. That's great. Have we got someone heading over to the prison to speak with the warden?"

_"Yes ma'am. We'll keep you posted." _

"Thank you." She hung up, disappointed in the system again.

Olivia stood up to join her partner in the squad room. "You can stop that scan. We've got an ID. Sara Connelly - escaped prison this week. Prison wanted to keep it quiet."

Her voice showed her exhaustion. Nick turned around and made his way back to his desk.

"I'll get her record."

Olivia stood by as he searched the computer's database for the woman's rap sheet. Without any effort, it popped up.

"Arrested in 2011 for the drunken murder of her seven-year-old daughter. Convicted and sentenced early 2012." Nick read.

Olivia sighed, nodding. That's why she recognized her. That woman had been one who reminded her of her mother - a fallen down drunk.

"We worked that case. Sara beat her daughter with a bottle of whiskey until she killed her."

Nick remembered. He'd been with Fin in the interrogation room with her the night she'd been arrested.

"Jury was out ten minutes before convicting." He finished for her.

Olivia sighed. That case had torn her heart out. Sara's little girl, Lily, hadn't just been another victim. She'd been Olivia. She'd been the girl fearing her mother's drunken attacks.

Nick knew it had been a rough case. He took a long look at her as Sara's mugshot stayed on the screen. "So who wanted her dead?"

"Whoever it was had a lot of anger toward her." Olivia nodded as her phone rang again.

She answered. "Benson."

_ "Sergeant. This is Lieutenant Williams from the 2-4 precinct. We have DNA in a murder case that points to your recent Vic, Sara Connelly, as our killer." _

It had only been hours since they'd caught the case and there already was a wrench in it.

"Who's the victim?"

_"Sara's seventeen-year-old son, Tyson. He was reported missing by his foster parents after an outing in Central Park. Our team found him dead an hour and a half later."_

"And you think Sara did it?"

_"Her DNA was under his fingernails and her fingerprints were all over him. There's no doubt about it." _

Olivia sighed, brushing a piece of hair from her face. "What do you want from my squad."

It was hardly a question. She didn't have the energy to make her conversation light.

_"Maybe it gives you some kind of motive. Narrows your suspect pool."_

The reply set Olivia on edge. Running on an hour and a half of sleep, she answered with a sharp voice.

"We've had the case for three hours. We don't have much of a suspect pool." She snapped.

_"Fair enough. Just thought you'd want to know." _

"Thanks." Olivia bit her tongue, unwilling to take the conversation further as she hung up.

* * *

><p>Amanda and Fin waited and watched as CSU did their work around the crime scene. The weapons were unable to be recovered, apparently taken by the suspect when he left. The sun was cresting on the horizon when they finished their work. Fin called Nick to let him know where they were at, and then both he and his partner headed back to the precinct.<p>

They already knew about Tyson.

Olivia was glad she'd sent them home early the night before. She wished she'd left before 1:00 A.M.

Each person split duties and made a plan to reconvene with information later. They didn't know about the call they'd be getting just two days later.

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><p>Tyson's body lay in the morgue, only the lifeless shell holding memories of how his life had been taken. As the detectives could never know, not like he did, the scene replayed in front of unseeing eyes.<p>

He glanced up for only a moment and caught a glimpse of a terrifyingly familiar face. Then it was gone. The park was alive, families with children scattered around the grass in happy groups. Nannies with children watched performers bringing marionettes to life on the streets. Even in amidst the action, all the sounds were swallowed up into a vacuum after seeing that face.

His legs began moving before his brain could think. His foster parents wouldn't notice he was gone. They had seven other children to look after. So he pursued the woman.

Around one of the quiet corners of the park, an area like a sanctuary situated beneath a thick canopy of trees, he found her standing. His mother. They were so alone in the world as the bushes kept surrounding families from seeing them.

"Mom?" He had to make sure he wasn't seeing things.

Her crooked smile confirmed who she really was. He took a step back.

"Tyson. It's ok. It's me." Sara's voice shook as she tried to calm him. Her brown hair hung in dirty strands around her frail face. Her teeth reflected shades of yellow.

Tyson shook his head. "How the hell did you get out?"

He'd been gone when she'd battered his sister, Lily, but he had hardly a moment to think about it when his mother was whisked off to prison. He knew she was capable of it. He was glad to see her unable to hurt herself or anyone else behind the prison doors.

"It doesn't matter. But we have to go soon. They're looking for me. Let's go. We can get out of the country." She was as delusional as she ever was.

Tyson grew angry. "There is no way I'm getting caught trying to help you. I would never help you after what you did anyway. Leave. Before I call the cops."

He saw the way her face fell. Had she forgotten how upset Tyson had been at her? Had she forgotten how he'd told her he never wanted to see her again?

Sara's disappointment turned to anger. "You're my son. You wouldn't dare."

He stepped forward to her, so close he could smell the booze on her breath. "I'm not your son. Get out of here."

His hands pushed against her chest. She stumbled back a few steps with the force as his fingers caught her arm, drawing blood. She automatically reacted, grabbing him and throwing him to the ground with everything in her. Tyson laid still, his eyes unseeing as his head settled on the boulder sprinkled with crimson.


	2. Chapter 2

**In case there's any confusion, this story takes place in season 16. Nick's whole incident with the law didn't happen, so he's at SVU. The Lewis storyline did happen. The Noah storyline happened. Hope that clears everyone up! :)**

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><p>"Alright. Sara Connelly escaped from prison on the way to court - she was up for an early appeal." Amanda began as they shared their discoveries.<p>

"Two years after being sentenced to 25 years?" Fin questioned as he slouched in his chair.

"Apparently she'd made significant 'progress.'" Amanda shook her head.

"Five hours after her escape, she meets her son Tyson in Central Park. Only two hours after that, he's found dead." Nick continued as they pieced the story together.

"Phone records from his foster home indicates an unknown number called just an hour before Tyson disappeared. The 2-4 hasn't traced it yet, so we're going to need to do that." Olivia jumped in.

"No need. I did that. The call came from someone in Bedford Correctional, before Sara escaped." Fin handed Olivia the sheet he'd printed out.

"So Sara calls to find out where Tyson is. She meets him and kills him in broad daylight. Why?" Their leader didn't seem to be phased at all by the hours they'd been handling. She didn't let them have time to even answer her question.

"You know what - the way this looks, a personal attack, I don't think we're dealing with a serial. I'll have some others keep checking in with CSU. Go home. Get some sleep. I'll see you back here tomorrow."

No one protested, though it was only 3:00 in the afternoon. Olivia watched her detectives leave as she grabbed her bag and exited her office. The day was bright, but it didn't keep any of them from sleeping well. Each of them unconsciously prepared for the new day ahead.

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><p>CSU, working faster than normal, began to put their file together. Melinda already had the autopsy done by 6:00 that same evening, her evidence promptly forwarded to CSU.<p>

They processed the DNA from beneath Sara's fingernails, fibers from her body, and evidence taken from the scene. Results would take at least a day. They'd done what they could. Now they had to wait.

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><p>Olivia's body settled into her bed as soon as she'd calmed Noah down. She held her position as Noah slept safely beside her, his little hand in hers. Olivia knew she was where she should be. It felt so worth it to work the hours she did when she got to come back home to Noah's smile.<p>

They both slept for hours, getting much-needed rest and time spent together. Olivia wanted to be as close as she could be to him every minute of every day. She wished she could be. He held her heart. It tore her to be away from him.

Four hours later, her bed became uncomfortable again. Her mind, every instinct in her was giving heed of unknown warnings as she slept. She awoke in the darkness, checking the time as soon as she did: 7:30 P.M. Her eyes scanned from Noah's perfect sleeping form to the ceiling. Her thoughts ran on their own. As she'd felt when she'd first stepped on the crime scene, so she felt taking over her then. No matter how much she tried to tell herself that it was something her instincts were getting wrong, she couldn't shake it.

She stood from the bed and took her precious son into her arms as he slept peacefully. He adjusted comfortably to his crib, and she tiptoed out for a glass of wine.

:::

_"Truth is - I'm safer here on the inside than you are on the outside, Sergeant - Benson, was it?" Carlos moved toward Olivia as he sat across from her. _

_"Tell your client to keep his mouth shut -" Barba let his anger show. Olivia had had enough threats from perpetrators for a lifetime. _

_"No. That's ok." Olivia waved Barba off, leaning forward, the challenge already accepted._

_ He could see some of the anger Lewis had instilled within her mixed with her own persistence. It rattled him. The evidence of her attack never left her. It was part of her. It had changed her._

_ "You threatening me?" She paused, her face one of sharp aggressiveness. "I've got the biggest gang in the city." _

_Carlos' gaze locked on hers as his eyes narrowed. He wasn't backing down either. Olivia knew the risk. She knew the gang was well equipped. It didn't matter. She wouldn't let another person take anything away from her._

_ "You think your guys are loyal?" It almost amused her. _

_Her smirk took a millisecond to turn to a solemn, death glare. "Go ahead. Test the NYPD." _

_Barba heard the dangerous words. Carlos kept his glare fixed on her. Her attitude only took his hatred to another level. _

_"I dare ya." _

_He accepted the challenge as she had. It would take time to put something in motion, but he'd show her what his gang was capable of. She had no idea. But she would._

:::

The morning sun came too quickly. The weather took a turn toward Autumn as the chill in the air crept upon the city. The precinct was already abuzz when Nick stepped into the squad room. Amanda was sitting in her desk near where Fin was sitting in his, their computers alive as they searched for leads in their newest case. Olivia was in her office, flipping through files and separating papers as diligently as anyone he'd ever seen. He was on his way to his sergeant's office after his two fellow detectives acknowledged his arrival.

Olivia looked up at his knock.

"Hey. They get anywhere on the case last night?" He asked quickly.

She sighed as she put down the file in her hands. She was already tired again, thinking about the child she'd left behind again that morning. She had to remind herself that he'd be waiting for her when she got home.

"I've got COD and approximate TOD from Warner. Her full report is on your desk." She began, pausing to look up again. "You get some rest?"

Nick nodded. He knew her concern always focused around those under her wing. She didn't give that concern for herself. No matter how tired she was, she'd always ask someone else if they needed a break first.

"Yeah. Although I feel like you're the one who needed it most."

Olivia glanced up at him again, halting in her work. "Noah and I both got some sleep."

She paused for a nervous second. "Nick -" she stopped, having kept the information she was about to share secret from anyone else in the precinct. She had gotten the call earlier in the morning.

Nick showed her he was ready to listen, so she stood, her hands deep in her pockets.

"1PP wants this case closed as soon as possible. They don't want it getting out to the media that a prison on their radar didn't report an escaped convict. They're watching us closely." Her voice was already tired again. Being in command was a beat-down for her, for anyone handling the incredible load she did.

"What that prison failed to do has nothing to do with us." Nick defended them both.

"I know that. But 1PP wants to clean house - using us. I don't like it any more than you do, but I do want to keep my job." Olivia's voice was regretful. She hated having to go along with an order that was in place only to save the ass of her bosses at 1PP, but there was no other alternative. They had to do what they were told.

"So let's just close this." She finished.

Nick nodded again, shoving his own hands in his pockets. "It's the little people that get things done, huh." He turned to go as he caught a small grin on Olivia's face.

* * *

><p>Their case was coming together. They had more manpower, and it showed. More minds made the investigation accelerate. They sat together, some standing around with pens and paper, sharing everything to make sure it was straight in everyone's heads.<p>

Sara Connelly was killed at 2:00 A.M., suffocating after the knife she was stabbed multiple times with penetrated her lung. She drown in her own blood after enduring over two dozen stab wounds and an incredibly gruesome assault.

She had called her son Tyson days before, murdering him during an encounter in the park.

Her murderer was one harboring terrible anger, but they hoped to have the perp soon, in hopes that Sara was his or her only victim.

Dr. Warner's report said that she'd recovered blood from beneath Sara's fingernails and hair on the body. With any stroke of luck, they'd have the DNA in the system.

The murder weapon was unable to be recovered, but had been identified as a standard 9-inch kitchen knife. The case began to make sense. But the suspect pool was hardly narrowed past the city's population.

At 6:00 that evening, Olivia and her detectives sat in their desks, working at identifying anyone close to Sara before and after she'd been sent to prison. It was slow-going, but it was still progress, progress they needed. Each of the detectives in the squad room looked up from their screens when a familiar face came through the door, followed by two suits behind.

They didn't address Nick, Fin, or Amanda. The detectives watched the men disappear into Olivia's office, shutting the door behind them.

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><p>Olivia was interrupted from her work when her door opened unexpectedly. Her mood fell immediately when she saw the face that led the three men into her office. She stood up to meet him. Though he'd been civil when she'd dealt with Lewis' death, she knew that the man was still on 1PP's payroll. He had to do his job, a job he seemed to thoroughly enjoy.<p>

"Lieutenant Tucker." She didn't try to make her gaze pleasant. It was a sober stare she held toward him.

He almost caught a hint of resentment. "Sergeant Benson. You are investigating the murder of Sara Connelly, correct?"

He didn't have to ask. She could tell he already knew.

"Does IAB have a problem with that?" She challenged angrily.

Tucker didn't flinch. He didn't move at all as he replied to her. "Actually, yes."

He paused.

"CSU's full report just came back. They called us."

Olivia narrowed her eyes. What would they have found that would be enough of a reason for IAB to pay a visit to SVU? She let him go on, unwilling to give him the satisfaction of asking all the questions.

"DNA had a match in the system, but you already knew that." His eyes narrowed as he accused her.

Olivia's anger only grew. "And how would that be?" She snapped back.

Tucker was unsure of how to interpret her anger. "Because you were there when it happened."

Olivia took a moment to try and get her heart beating again. It felt like her body completely froze. That couldn't have been right. She'd been at the scene. Of course she had. Was that what he meant? As she watched him study her reaction to his news, she saw his suspicion become too real. She swallowed hard.

"Tucker. What the hell are you saying." She didn't ask a question, but instead demanded an answer.

Lieutenant Tucker glanced back at the two men behind him and back at Sergeant Benson.

"We're suspending your investigation here at SVU and handing it over to 1PP. Sergeant Benson, I'm here to place you under arrest for the murder of Sara Connelly."

Olivia's whole body went cold, her heart dropping into her toes. The world began to spin. Her tongue wouldn't move no matter how much she wanted to counter Tucker's crazy accusations. It lay at the bottom of her mouth, as helpless as she felt. She must have heard wrong.

Tucker felt unsure again. Her eyes were wide as she heard him say what he had to. Was she harboring guilt? Or was it genuine surprise? He thought again about the evidence against her. There was no doubt. No matter how much he hated to do it, though he'd never admit, it was his job. After years of going after Olivia Benson, he knew he'd finally gotten her. And still he didn't know how he felt about it.

"You tell me right now what's in that file, Tucker. You owe me that much." Olivia was spitting fire as she struggled to piece the puzzle together in her head.

"There is no doubt about this one, or I would give you the courtesy to turn yourself in tomorrow. But I can't." Tucker paused before walking around the desk toward her.

He stood mere inches from her as he began to speak. "You're under arrest for murder. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law -"

"I know my rights." Olivia remembered being in a similar situation and saying the exact same thing. Her anger mingled with fear as he grabbed her arm. It wasn't Lewis' hand. But the chill running through her felt like it was.

She said nothing, giving no resistance as he led her, his two men behind them as they left the office.

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><p><strong>If you have any thoughts please please please review. I'm not a mind reader ;) Tell me what you thought! I'd love to hear from you. <strong>


	3. Chapter 3

Nick, Amanda, and Fin all three looked up, pretending to have lost interest as the men exited the office with Olivia. Fin already knew what was happening. He could see Tucker gripping her arm. Olivia looked straight at them, telling them they were right.

"What the hell is this." Nick got up, obviously aware of the situation himself.

They all stood up, blocking Tucker's path. Olivia's face was angered, but her eyes were gleaming with fear. She kept her face solemn, as straight as they'd ever seen it as she stood there.

"You are off the investigation. My office will be in touch with each of you soon." Tucker tried to move past them.

"And where is Liv going?" Fin challenged, dangerously close to Tucker's face.

The tension was tangible.

"We're not idiots." Amanda butted in before Tucker could dance around the truth, something he so loved to do.

"1PP." He answered.

Olivia shot Nick a quick glance. There was so much happening. It couldn't be happening, not after all she'd been through. Lewis had stolen two years of her whole life, and he'd be in her mind for the rest of her life. Now she was being arrested.

"That's crap, Tucker. You get out of here and we'll call you when we find who _actually _did it." He was livid as he fought as hard as he could for his partner.

"CSU already did." Tucker pushed past them all, Olivia saying nothing.

She was well aware of her rights, and she knew how her trust in the system before had almost gotten her put away for life. Now that trust was in shambles again. Lewis had gotten less than what he deserved after a second chance to publicly shame Olivia. The legal system she had always thought she was doing justice by upholding had let her down more than once.

She looked back only once to find their faces staring back, frozen, terrified.

That was their leader being taken out the door, their sanity.

She tried to give them confidence through her gaze. Tucker's grip was tight on her arm.

"You really stomped on yourself this time, Tucker." She muttered angrily as they walked the hallway, every officer turning an eye to her.

Tucker said nothing. For the first time in his career, he felt conflicted about doing his job. He'd seen the damage Lewis had done to Olivia just the year before. He'd been there to watch him traumatize her on the stand. He'd been there when she'd faced him, even after he'd died. Now he was arresting her.

He stepped into the elevator with his other two men along with her. As the doors closed, she spat out the words she thought she'd never have to say again.

"I want a lawyer."

* * *

><p>Nick wheeled on Fin and Amanda as they stood frozen together. "What the hell was that about?"<p>

His face was red with fury, his eyes narrow in their confusion.

"Really, Amaro? How should we know?!" Fin jumped in, his voice climbing in volume as he felt the intensity of the moment creep into his voice as it spread through his veins.

Amanda held her hands out. "Call Melinda. Now." She pointed firmly at Fin.

Fin didn't hesitate. Nick and Amanda stood in fear as Fin waited for his colleague to pick up. He shook his head as he jammed the phone into the receiver again.

"No answer." He leaned in his desk heavily.

"Then let's go see her." Nick walked out the door without waiting to see if his coworkers would follow. His heart was tearing. His mind was in a thousand different places at once.

* * *

><p>Tucker got down to where he'd had his men park the car below the precinct. Olivia said nothing. She kept her breathing steady as she prevented herself from being hurtled back into the past, the last time she'd become a prisoner. It didn't feel any safer, going to jail as opposed to falling into the hands of a sadist.<p>

Tucker's face morphed into her worst enemy's, and it was hard for her to fight it. It had been three days since she'd had a flashback, almost seven months since she'd seen her assailant kill himself in front of her.

Olivia's eyes were wider than before. Tucker took notice immediately. He didn't understand it completely. As she stood in front of him, he took his cuffs off his belt.

"I wish I had a choice, Olivia." He said regretfully, grasping her wrists as the cuffs clamped shut.

The cold metal sent an intense series of nails down her spine. Every hair on her body stood on end as her goosebumps spread like wildfire. The metal was so familiar to her, too familiar. It successfully yanked her back in time. Her wrist protested against the cuffs as it remembered its injury from her own in a torturous attack. Her eyes were unblinking as she fought the images running through her head.

Tucker noted her terror. He saw the flashbacks played in front of him. "Liv."

Her surprise tossed her back into reality as she heard him call her a name he never had before. Her wrists were cuffed in front of her as she looked down. It was real. She felt her own hands trembling, and she knew Tucker could see it.

Carefully, he placed his on her own, only for a moment. Olivia saw something in his eyes that hadn't been there before. She could see feeling. She could see regret. As strange as it was, it was a small comfort.

Still, she made her face transform to rock as she recovered. She stared at him with no emotion. She couldn't give him that satisfaction, even though it looked like he wasn't even taking pleasure in it.

* * *

><p>Their feet hit the ground in the medical examiner's office after a blur of time passed in but a second. Melinda saw them immediately. She covered up the body on the table and met them at the door, preventing them from coming in any further. Her face was not angry, but uneasy.<p>

"You can't be here." She spoke under her breath as she put her hand to the inside of the doorframe.

"Melinda, they arrested Olivia." Fin kept his voice as low as hers.

Melinda showed no surprise.

"You knew and you didn't call?" Nick jumped in, pushing his way to the front of the two.

Melinda looked around quickly. "You think I wanted this to happen?"

She gave them each angry looks. "I can't do anything about it. I gave my report to CSU and _they_ ran the DNA. There was nothing I could do. You guys need to leave before we all lose our jobs."

All three of them stood silent.

"We need to see that file." Amanda wasn't backing down.

Melinda paused for a moment. "You get out of here. I'm trying to figure it out."

She handed a folder to Fin, who tucked it in his jacket.

"We will."

The three exited, leaving Melinda with her thoughts. Olivia had been arrested. And with the evidence they'd found, there was little hope in freeing her from the same legal system she'd been fighting to uphold for fifteen years.

Amanda, Fin, and Nick picked up their pace, nearly jogging out of the building. Nick made it to the sidewalk first.

"Get Barba on the phone."

* * *

><p>Rafael Barba was sitting in his favorite restaurant having a bite to eat when his phone lit up. He wiped his mouth, not knowing yet that the call was going to turn his day upside down. He took a drink, reached for the device, and answered the familiar number.<p>

"Barba."

_ "Liv's been arrested. We need your help." _Amanda's voice was quick and urgent.

Barba swallowed hard, gripping the chair next to him as he got the news. He took only a moment to reanalyze the words he was sure he'd heard.

"Where is she." His heart was in his toes as he asked.

_"1PP." _The very thought gave him chills. In every situation he felt like he could always say something to keep the energy high, to keep the progress going. But in that moment, there was nothing he could do or say.

_"She needs a lawyer._" Amanda added cautiously. She knew Barba had resources. He knew the best lawyer's in the business.

He nodded, even though he knew she couldn't see him. It didn't occur to him.

"I'll do everything I can."

_"Tucker took us off the case." _

Barba, for once in his life, instructed them to do something he knew wasn't right - not even legal. "I don't care. 1PP won't trip over themselves trying to make this right. It's up to you to do that."

He paused, realizing what he was saying. "Just be discreet."

The phone left his shaky hand when he laid it on the bar next to his uneaten food. It would remain uneaten. His appetite was gone.

He grabbed his suit jacket off the chair behind him, tossing a twenty dollar bill on the counter, and left in the blink of an eye. The city noises had never rattled him like they did when he stepped onto the sidewalk. Every horn had his adrenaline rushing through his body, jumping nervously.

* * *

><p>The car ride was silent. Every possible outcome was running through Olivia's head as she looked out the window to the freedom she no longer had. What had they found that had prompted such a quick arrest?<p>

The process at 1PP took an hour. Olivia was put through the ringer in silence, her fingerprints taken, pictures, mugshots. It was a living nightmare, a nightmare that brought up memories of others.

Then Tucker put her in the car again. She knew where she was going. Her breath caught as the car hit a bump. She remained silent and stoic all the way up to Central Booking.

"Your lawyer will be here soon." The policeman at the front desk finished taking her personal information and had one of his men escort her back into the tombs.

She gave Tucker one last look before she disappeared behind those horrible doors.

Tucker turned to leave, feeling something he hadn't in a long time: remorse.

Olivia was led to a relatively quiet area of the tombs. Still, everyone in the cells she walked past made some comment. She swallowed at the sound of whistles and cat calls. It felt all wrong. She had to remind herself how to breathe. Her heart picked up its pace when it felt her uncertainty. She went further into the darkness of imprisonment. It wasn't real. Was it?

Olivia kept her eyes forward as she tried to keep composure of any sort. Her knuckles turned white as she balled her hands into fists. Her fingernails cut the inside of her palms as she fought against bombarding flashbacks. None of them manifested completely, but they were about to break the surface as the man escorting her stopped and unlatched one of the cuffs.

"Olivia Benson." He shook his head as he spoke quietly, empathetically. "How the hell did you end up here?"

She'd never seen the man before in her life, but she knew how far the case with Lewis had spread. The whole city knew who she was.

Olivia took a deep breath as she shook her head. "I don't know." Her voice was softer, more afraid than she'd realized she actually was.

Only two hours before, she'd been staring at the pictures of the mutilated woman, shaking her head. The woman had murdered her two children. Even so, did she deserve the punishment she'd gotten? Now she was the one who was suspected of the horrible crime.

The officer jerked her back to reality when he had her sit on the floor, the cold filtering up through her body. She couldn't be sure if it was the temperature of the cement beneath her or the icy terror in her veins that made her feel that way. He cuffed her to one of the cell bars, keeping her out of reach of any other prisoner. He gave a sigh before leaving.

"We're going to figure this out." He made a promise he didn't know he could keep.

Olivia was granted great comfort in that moment, a stranger assuring her that everything was going to be fine. That was her job. It gave her comfort to know what she could offer with just those simple words as she felt them sink into her. As he left, Olivia found herself alone - alone, the cold metal of the cuffs reminding her that her fracture had been fairly recent, the ground letting the bony fingers of the past reach up toward her. Olivia leaned her head into the wall behind her and shut her eyes, hoping to shut out the world as she did so.

A tear nearly slipped from her. Noah. She knew he was safe. She knew he was at home, content with the babysitter. But she wasn't at rest. He was her life. He was her love. She needed to get out of there, if only to be back with him.


	4. Chapter 4

Amanda, Nick, and Fin went to Fin's place with the files they'd collected from the case. IAB hadn't confiscated them, and they were unwilling to wait around in the precinct until they _did_ lose them. They combed through CSU's report for the first time. Nick read the line that most broke his heart.

_Blood samples from beneath victim's fingernails - positive match to NYPD Sergeant Olivia Benson._

It couldn't be right. They sat in silence for a moment, reading one another's expressions.

"Liv didn't do this." Amanda offered quietly. She knew. She knew Olivia would never be capable of such horrid violence.

"Well that jury isn't going to be on her side. They've got her blood, her hair - how?" Nick was furious at himself in the confusion. It had been four days they'd had the case and they knew Olivia was in deep. What had gone wrong?

"Either someone got into her apartment, stole her hair and her blood without her knowing it, and ran -" Fin started.

"Or they went into evidence and got it themselves. She does have a rape kit in there." Amanda was cautious, but the thought of it made her stomach turn. The very evidence Olivia had had taken to prove what assault did or didn't happen to her was possibly being used as a way to steal her freedom.

"Then we check evidence logs, sign-in sheets, surveillance." Nick instructed firmly.

"And how do you suggest we do that when we're supposed to be 'off the case'?" Amanda challenged him directly, the emotion in the room driving tensions through the roof.

"Say we need it for something else. Not like we haven't done it before." Fin trailed off.

"Let's get her out of there."

* * *

><p>Barba picked up the phone on his way back to the office. He called the one person he knew was good enough to help.<p>

"Rita. Rita I need you down at Central Booking."

Rita gave him a scoff and a laugh. _"And why am I needed down there?" _

Barba didn't attempt to soften the blow. There wasn't time to do so.

"Olivia - she's been arrested for murder. I know your schedule is tight, but I promised her squad I'd find someone who could help."

Rita stopped in the middle of her living room as she paced, her face gone pale. _"Do they ever stop trying to take her down? What is it with the NYPD these days."_

Barba squeezed his lips together to keep the words from coming out - every word he held in about the things he wished he could change about the NYPD. She immediately noticed Barba's lack of a witty reply. His loss of words was enough to scare her. She took the responsibility of finishing the conversation, as it appeared Barba could not.

_"I'll be down there as soon as I can." _

Barba hung up after he heard her end the conversation. He stood in his office idly for a moment before putting his phone to his ear again. He had to know how bad it was. Nick picked up on the second ring.

"What have you got?" He asked quickly.

_ "We have CSU's file. They've got Liv's hair, her blood, her DNA all over that woman's body."_ The detective sounded exhausted, but desperate.

"She has a rape kit in evidence. You guys are checking -"

_"Yeah. We know how to do our jobs." _Nick's reply was concise, angry.

Barba didn't think twice. "Let me know when you have something. Rita's on her way to Liv now."

_"We're checking into everything." _

"Well do it fast. An NYPD sergeant arrested for murder, her DNA all over the body - the city will convene a grand jury in a week. Just prove she didn't do it."

* * *

><p>Olivia remained on the floor for minutes that felt like hours, seconds that felt like days. Her eyes never closed. Her heart pumped too fast to allow that. For the first time in months, she felt every sense in her body on edge. Every sound that met her ears was a threat. Her mind was alert. Every left turn her life could take, it had.<p>

The brutal assault Lewis had hung over her had just drawn to a close. Those wounds were fairly raw. And now she was under arrest. Her eyes widened whe she at last caught sight of an officer. She moved to stand up, the cuffs cutting into her wrists. It was a feeling she hated most.

"Excuse me." She felt her voice falter, and she immediately fixed it. "I'd like to make a phone call."

The man obviously recognized her, nodding hesitantly and freeing her from the cell bars. The phone was dirty in her hand, but Olivia dialed quickly. She didn't have much time. The phone rang once.

_ "Liv."_ Nick knew it was Central Booking calling. He'd called that number often enough to know when it was calling him.

Olivia leaned heavily against the wall. "I need to know what they have." She was aware of the officer watching, so she chose her words carefully.

_ "We got CSU's file. Your hair and blood was found on Sara's body. They're searching your apartment right now. Liv I don't know how -" _

"It's ok, Nick. We'll figure it out."

Her shaky voice made him sure she knew how bad it really was. DNA was a hard thing to disprove.

"What does Barba say?"

Nick paused.

It wasn't a good sign.

_"He says the city could convene a grand jury within a week. High-profile cases involving police officers are something 1PP doesn't want to put off. Can't have the public thinking we get special treatment." _

Olivia's heart dropped. She closed her eyes. She could feel her feet slipping as her life was pulled out from under her.

"What the hell happened." She whispered.

Nick heard it. His breath caught as he felt a lump form in his throat.

_ "I don't know. But we're checking into your -"_ he hated to say it, so he paused before he did_. "- rape kit. If there's anything missing from there, we can get you out of there." _

Olivia nodded, though he couldn't see her. "I'll be ok."

She could hear the regret in his voice. He was scared for her.

_"I know." _

The officer nodded. Their conversation had to end.

_"Rita's on her way."_ He added before Olivia cut in.

"You take Noah. Please, Nick. I need him with someone I trust." Before he could say anything more, she finished. "I have to go."

Olivia hung the phone up after his last words. It hurt her. She was a prisoner again as the officer took her by the arm, the same way Lewis had, and led her back into the darkness of the tombs.

* * *

><p>Amanda was already on the phone with the officer on duty at evidence storage. Fin and Nick combed through the remainder of the file as they waited to hear what she found.<p>

Amanda hung up. "No one checked out any evidence from that box. But the officer on duty checked - the seal has been broken - though that doesn't mean much. They used it in Lewis' trial."

"And the stuff in it?" Fin asked hurriedly. There was no time to ponder.

"Everything's accounted for. There's still blood, DNA, and hair in that box."

"But is there any way to tell if any tiny amount is missing?" Nick challenged.

Amanda shook her head. "What's on the list is what's in the box. I did get something: the last signature on it was just this past Tuesday, two days before Sara was murdered."

They watched her carefully as she read. "Detective Ron Thatcher of the 7-4 in Manhattan."

Nick took the opportunity to back off, stepping into the empty captain's office. He closed the door as he took a series of deep breaths, his eyes unable to focus. He picked up the phone.

"No. I'm Nick Amaro - Liv's partner. I'll be by to pick him up in a half hour."

* * *

><p>The car's wheels went in slow motion as Nick drove to Liv's apartment. He knocked gingerly on the door as the sun disappeared from upon city. Too much time had passed already. The woman opened the door with a smile, Noah on the floor behind her. Nick couldn't smile back.<p>

"Something wrong?" She already knew the answer.

Nick closed the door behind him. He said nothing, kneeling down to the small child seated against the couch.

Noah looked up at the familiar face with delight. Only a small smile from him brought a little light into Nick's heart. Nick picked him up as Alicia handed him the bag he'd asked her to pack.

"Two week's worth of clothes, diapers, everything." She paused nervously. "Is Olivia ok?"

Nick shook his head. "Thanks."

He didn't leave any room for her to ask any more questions. As he brought Noah into his arms, the little boy pushed his head into the crook of Nick's shoulder. His heart was in pain again. It couldn't be real. This little boy needed Olivia. They all did. It would be fixed in a matter of hours. It had to be.

He drove across the city in silence, his phone to his ear. No one was answering as darkness fell across the horizon, taking the sun's place.

Fin finally picked up.

"Where are we on Detective Thatcher's status?"

There was a moment of quiet between them. That never meant good news.

_"Amanda called the 7-4. Ron's partner Daniel just called in a 10-00. He's dead." _

Nick's breath caught. "What the hell is going on." He mumbled to himself.

The case unraveled so quickly he couldn't follow it. His sergeant sat in prison while the man who checked into her evidence box laid dead.

"Homicide?"

_"Don't know yet. We're waiting on a call from a buddy at the 6-5. They're investigating. It's all hands on deck. We'll have something by midnight." _

Another pause. Fin spoke again. _"You've got Noah?"_

Nick glanced in his rearview mirror at the sleeping child. "Yeah."

It was all he could say. He was too tired to say anything else. The adrenaline was winding down. The reality was setting in.

_ "Listen, Barba is on his way over here to give us a hand. He's expecting to hear from Rita as soon as she's spoken with Liv." _

"I'll be back as soon as I drop Noah off at my mom's place."

The pauses got longer.

"Someone's setting her up. Look into any threats, anyone who might've held a grudge."

_"Are you kidding?" _Fin said no more.

The silence fell between them again. Even without sound, they both knew what kind of fear they were feeling at the same time. That was it. They both hung up.

* * *

><p>Amanda sat across from Fin, her one hand holding her forehead as her other clicked furiously on the mouse of her laptop. There was nothing else they could do. Fin hung up, immediately turning toward her.<p>

"As of now, our only evidence it was a setup is the officer signing off on Liv's box, which no one at the 7-4 knew about and threats from the past year." He leaned forward, sighing in the hopelessness they faced.

Amanda gave up the task of clicking for a moment, showing her exhaustion. "Where do we even start?" She pushed her hair out of her face.

"We've got someone with resources. They must have had hooks in Thatcher to get him to steal evidence from storage." Fin distanced himself from the reality they were dealing with. He made himself force his mind to forget that Olivia was in trouble. He had to keep his mind clear to get the facts straight.

"It's gotta be quite a grudge to try and set her up for murder." Amanda added, doing the same thing.

"Seems like more than one person to me."

"And they knew they had to kill Thatcher to keep him quiet. They covered their tracks. These guys have done this kind of thing before."

The clock wasn't stopping.


	5. Chapter 5

:::

_"I talked to Carlos this morning. He knows the plan. Get Thatcher on the phone and get him to get what we need." The man pointed to the others, watching him carefully. _

_"Why now?" A smaller, younger man questioned._

_ "It's been almost six months since she put Carlos away after he offed Manny." _

_"Lewis got us the evidence we knew we needed, so we figured we'd let him finish if he wanted. Now it's our turn." The man pushed the phone to his ear. The detective picked up on the other end._

_ "Detective Thatcher."_

_ "Your daughter chose us. Now you make it your choice. You do what we say and we'll let her live. If not - you'll never see her again."_

_ "I -" _

_"We'll know if you call the cops. Just do what we say and you'll all live happily ever after. Deal?" _

_The silence on the other end was evidence that Ron was shaking in his boots. _

_"Please - just don't hurt Jamie." His voice shook before he cleared his throat. "What do you want?"_

_ "Evidence. We need you to get us evidence. Grab a pen and write this down. You mess it up - we'll discuss that later." _

_The rustling around echoed both from the room he stood in and the one the detective was in._

_ "Find Olivia Benson's rape kit. Grab samples of what you can. And get out." _

_The detective on the other end froze. "What do you want with that?"_

_ "It doesn't matter to you. Just do it." The phone call ended, satisfying the one who had made it._

_ "We are about to take down New York's Finest Sergeant. Get your heads on straight. We are not messing this up."_

:::

Noah was inconsolable when Nick brought him over the threshold of his mother's doorway. The small child could feel the emotions coursing through every fiber of Nick's body. Nick knew that too. He wished he could do something, anything to let him know it was all going to be ok.

"Mom." Nick tried to console Noah as he called for his mother in the house. She appeared around the corner of the hallway.

"Hijo, what is it?" His face told her almost everything in a moment of nothing.

"I need you to watch Noah for a little bit. I have everything you'll need right here." He handed the bag to his mother as she took the crying child from his arms.

Her eyes showed her curiosity. "Everything ok?"

Nick shifted uncomfortably on his feet as he tried to answer.

"I can take him as long as you need. Go. Do what you have to." She saved him the energy loss of searching for an explanation to something he didn't yet know was happening.

Nick kissed her quickly. "Thanks, Mom."

* * *

><p>Rita's voice brought Olivia back to where she was sitting as it echoed through the depths of central booking. "Olivia."<p>

She glanced up to the woman coming closer to her. "Rita." Olivia answered the only way she could.

Rita took a seat next to Olivia on the floor, not caring who saw them. "Barba just called. What's IAB after this time?"

Olivia took a deep breath, a sign that it was worse than Rita originally thought. "We caught a case two nights ago. An escaped convict was found dead just a block from my apartment. They found my card on her."

Rita tried to keep her head clear as she saw the comatose state Olivia seemed to be in. She repeated what she knew like a robot, staring into the nothingness that surrounded them. Rita touched her arm, causing an immediate reaction. Olivia looked straight into her eyes.

"And how'd you end up here?"

"They found my blood under the victim's fingernails. My DNA is all over that crime scene, Rita."

Both of them took a long moment of time they didn't have to think in silence.

"SVU is off the case." Rita assumed aloud.

"Not by their standards. They're working from Fin's apartment."

Another pause. The sounds within the holding chamber were enough to rattle Rita. It was different than any other case she'd dealt with. She knew Olivia well. She knew Olivia hadn't done anything. But they had to face uncertainty together. Neither of them had a choice.

"I was at home with Noah that night." Olivia felt the lump in her throat again.

Rita's hands took Olivia's. "We are going to work this out. I'm looking into the case. Central Booking is backed up. You'll be arraigned late tomorrow at the earliest. I'll get you out of here, and we can figure this out together."

Olivia believed her. Rita had gotten her out of trouble before.

"I don't have much more time here. Is there anything else that's important?"

Olivia's gaze hardened on a far-away object in the darkness as she stared straight ahead. The only thing running through her mind was Noah. She had to get back to him.

"Just get me out of here."

* * *

><p>Amanda's phone rang at ten minutes to midnight, Nick and Fin watching as she answered. She spoke, unable to give a clear reading as to the findings.<p>

When she hung up, Nick leaned forward. "So?"

Amanda sighed heavily. "Thatcher was shot in the head - execution style. They're looking for a match in ballistics. Until then, we've got nothing else to go on."

Fin shook his head. "There has to be something we're missing. This is high caliber, this operation. We've got a group with a crazy grudge."

Nick stood up, unable to satisfy the jitters in his legs by sitting. He paced uneasily, shoving his hands as deep into his pockets as he could. The silence lasted for a good minute before he spoke.

"A gang." He stopped, facing the two seated in front of him. It had to be.

"In the last year, we've pissed off enough gangs to take out all of NYPD, and we're still here." Fin was cynical as his coping mechanism. He crossed his arms.

"This is one we've dealt with directly." Amanda reasoned. "Maybe even more than once."

Nick threw his hands up again, feeling the anger Fin did. "There are dozens of those."

Amanda threw her anger back as she snapped. "Then we go through them until we find the one that's doing this."

She held fire in her eyes as the fear within her exploded with her confusion. "We don't really have a choice here."

Nick and Fin stopped the rest of the thoughts flowing in and stared back at Amanda. She was too right.

"This isn't going away." She added. Her tone drifted into the soft uncertainty she felt.

"We need case files. All of them." Fin was up, grabbing his keys before Nick even finished the sentence. His hand froze on the doorknob. Reality set in again, deeper this time.

Amanda carefully kept them moving forward. "We need to find out who really killed Sara. We can't prove it's a setup until we have the real killer."

Nick sat down again. "There's only one angry gang I know that we've run into twice in the last year."

Fin nodded. He was thinking the same thing. He just didn't want to believe it. "BX9."

Amanda leaned back again. It had to be. "Why now?"

"We'll have to wait until tomorrow to ask them. Carlos is our best bet. He was the one who made the threat against Liv." Nick's words were slow.

"Don't forget - he shared a cell with Lewis." Fin was hesitant to say it.

Their eyes were heavy. It was hard to stay awake.

"Why don't we split up and work on this tonight and then see what we have tomorrow." Fin suggested.

No one said anything in their quiet agreement. Nick and Amanda left in silence, not having the energy to find words to speak. When they parted ways, they found themselves stopped at the same time, sharing a glance. The night was chilly, the darkness deep. Nick turned away, still knowing he couldn't guarantee everything was actually going to turn out alright. He left Amanda and Fin on their own.

* * *

><p>Noah wasn't sleeping when Nick arrived at his mother's home later that night. She rocked him uneasily as he cried, still wondering where his mother's gentle arms were. Nick took Noah tenderly.<p>

"He knows." Nick's mom said quietly.

He nodded in reply as Noah's tears wetted his shoulder. "Hopefully this is over soon."

She didn't ask any questions. She already got the gist of what she needed to know. "Good luck."

Nick dropped the bags in his own living room, still trying to console Noah. The little boy was beside himself. Nick paced around the room, smoothing Noah's back as he did what he could to comfort himself.

"Mom's gonna be back soon, buddy." He felt like crying too.

He wanted to know the little boy would get Liv back. He'd seen them together. He knew how much Noah adored her, and how much love she had for him. It wasn't fair that it would have to end.

"We're going to get her back."

The lump in his throat swelled. Noah's cries died off as he drifted into sleep. Nick laid him in the small bassinet his own daughter had once laid in. Even in his sleep, Noah refused to let go of Nick's finger.

"She misses you too, I'm sure." His whisper faded into the night.

* * *

><p>Tucker was sitting at his desk, his hands clasped tightly as his eyes remained fixed in a far off place. His phone ringing jolted him back to the world he dwelled in. His eyes darted across the windows of his office, checking to see if anyone had noticed his uneasiness. He couldn't shake the thought of Olivia spending the rest of her life in jail. He couldn't shake the thought that maybe she hadn't done it. Tucker cleared his throat before answering.<p>

"Internal Affairs."

The voice was the one he'd known would be calling.

_"You arrested Sergeant Benson?" _

"Yes, sir." He answered the call that came from the Chief of Detectives.

_ "We have DNA?"_

Tucker swallowed, unsure of why he found himself nervous. "Yes." A pause.

_"I'll talk to the DA and inform the commissioner. Trial has to come soon. You understand that." _

Tucker nodded, knowing the man couldn't see him. It didn't matter.

_"Keep working the case. We'll be in touch when the grand jury is convened." _

The call ended as abruptly as it had began. Tucker kept he phone at his ear for a long moment before letting it drop to its cradle again. Why was it so hard to believe that this was all really happening?

* * *

><p>Olivia's eyes got heavy as she sat in the cell that night. Her body collapsed into the discomfort of the mattress on the small cot. It felt wrong. All of it did. She'd been fighting for justice for too long to let it turn around and try to take her down. Yet lying there, helpless, nearly hopeless, she couldn't do a thing about it.<p>

The noises played over in her nightmares as Lewis returned, threatening to kill Noah if she didn't do what he wanted. Olivia took his punishment as her son watched from the corner. The gunshot that followed Lewis putting the gun to Noah's head jolted Olivia awake again.

Her heart beat so fast she could hear it. The darkness within the cell was impenetrable. There was no stopping it from consuming her entirely.


	6. Chapter 6

Noah cried himself into a deep sleep on Nick's shoulder as he continued to diligently check and recheck every bit of information he found. He wrote down a list of known living relatives to Sara, doing the same for Tyson. He clicked until the computer yielded Ron Thatcher's jacket in the NYPD database. He searched his family. He searched his history until everything blurred together as the morning hours got larger. At 2:00, Nick was unable to fight sleep anymore. He gave into the darkness.

* * *

><p>Fin called Munch right after Amanda and Nick had left his apartment. He didn't tell the older man what was going on, just that they needed his help. Ten minutes after answering the call, Munch showed up at Fin's doorstep.<p>

"What's going on, Fin?"

Fin let him sit down on the couch before he answered.

"Liv's in trouble. She's sitting at central booking on a murder charge. They've got her DNA on the body."

Munch's world froze. He didn't imagine Fin could be calling for such an incredible emergency. He couldn't say anything.

"We're looking at BX9."

Munch took in the information while trying to remind himself how to breathe.

"We need your help, Munch." Fin's voice dropped to a whisper.

Munch's nod was almost unnoticeable, but Fin could see it.

* * *

><p>Barba struggled to sleep under the pressure. He knew his office would be getting the call soon. He knew one of his colleagues was going to have to take the case. After two hours of restless thought, he stood up and stared out the window. The night suddenly became more ominous. The lights didn't have any power against the black of the sky.<p>

There was nothing he could do. A deep breath told him that was a lie.

He called Rita.

"She alright?"

Rita paced in her own apartment. She put a hand to her forehead, shaking beneath the magnitude of reality. She didn't answer him. She couldn't think about how distant Olivia had been.

_"Your detectives think it's a gang - BX9. Said you'd worked against them a couple times this year." _

Barba remembered with a chill the threat Carlos had made against Olivia months before.

"William Lewis' cell mate, Carlos, made a threat against Olivia after we arrested him."

The words blended together, but Rita caught all of them.

_"And they're willing to go to all the trouble of getting her convicted of murder over one thing she did?" _

"This gang doesn't back down, Rita. Especially from a well-known police officer. They want recognition-" Barba stopped. Rita was thinking exactly the same thing.

"I'll keep you updated."

* * *

><p>Nick was fighting to sleep when his phone rang. He answered immediately.<p>

"Amaro."

_"Nick. Is there anything on the victim that BX9 could have put there to get recognition?"_

It was Barba.

Nick sat up tiredly. "Why would they want recognition if they're trying to put Liv away for the murder?"

Was he out of his mind?

_"They want the rest of the gangs to know they did it. If word gets out their sign is on a murder victim putting an NYPD sergeant they all hate in prison, they get that much bigger."_

Barba was talking so fast that Nick almost missed some of the words that weaved the sentences together. He let his brain process it for a moment. The file was right next to his bed. He grabbed for the pictures as he turned the closest lamp on. He flipped through the ones of the body, stopping in silence at one in particular. There, on the bone of Sara's bloody ankle, was the sign. The cross was carved deeply into her skin, the symbol each of the members of BX9 wore beneath their eye.

"A cross. They carved a cross into her ankle."

Barba paused, rubbing his forehead. There was no way they could prove it was BX9 who carved it. There was no way they could possibly say that it was evidence of a setup.

_ "So we know." _Barba said quietly.

They knew who had done it, and they had no way of proving it. No such frustration had ever come with the job before.

* * *

><p>Olivia spent the night waiting for the nightmares to stop. Her sleep didn't feel like sleep. It was instead darkness that took her prisoner without offering her peace. The darkness inside her mind was more terrifying than the darkness of the cell. She slept on the hope that her squad would find something, anything to make sure she wouldn't go down for a crime she'd never committed.<p>

* * *

><p>The sun rose on the city. The moment its rays kissed the bay, Amanda's knock came on Barba's door. She joined Nick, Fin, and Rita who had already found their seats.<p>

"We get anywhere?" She asked.

"We've got names of Ron Thatcher's closest family - and a cross on Sara's left ankle. It's definitely BX9." Fin replied dismally.

Rita shook her head. "Why would Thatcher be in the tank for BX9?"

She asked the question they were all thinking. No one could answer.

"CSU had to have combed that entire crime scene - every square inch of it with the magnitude of the charges against Liv. If they would've found anything, we'd know by now. BX9 cleaned up after themselves. The only way we're getting them is if we prove they killed Thatcher to keep him quiet. We need witnesses." Barba's three cups of coffee showed.

"And how are we supposed to do that when we're 'off the case'?" Nick challenged.

Rita stood up from where she leaned against the couch. "Then work with the people who knew him. Amanda, you said you have a friend in his precinct?"

She pointed at Amanda, who nodded. "Yeah. His partner. They'd been together for ten years."

"Talk to him. About everything."

* * *

><p>Olivia awoke to the terrible feeling that her dark thoughts had been real. She hadn't been sleeping when she'd landed in that cell. It was all real.<p>

Rita met her in the tombs that morning. "They're ready for you." She nodded quietly.

Olivia could tell how much weight Rita carried. She sighed deeply as she stood to meet her. "You don't have to do this Rita. I can find someone else."

Olivia didn't want anyone else, but she didn't want to hurt Rita. She didn't want it to destroy them both.

Rita set her jaw. "Liv we are figuring this out. I'm gonna fight like hell for you in there."

Listlessly, Olivia joined her on the outside of the cell. The officer gripped her arm tightly, though Rita shot him glares of disapproval.

The courthouse was filled when Olivia stepped in. She felt like the world had already ended. But then she caught sight of hope, familiarity. Nick was standing in the second row of seats holding her baby boy. Noah was looking straight at her, reaching for her as Nick shared a glance. Olivia's heart hurt even worse. She wanted that little boy in her arms again.

The judge's gavel startled her as she jerked her head back to the front of the room. She didn't hear them read the docket. She didn't hear anything until Rita spoke.

"Not guilty, your honor."

Olivia then kept her ears open.

"I'll hear the People on bail." The judge motioned to one of the best in the office of the DA.

"People request remand, your Honor. The defendant has nothing tying her to the community and we should consider her a flight risk. The heinous crime she's charged with is too brutal to let her walk out of here."

Rita shook her head. "Sergeant Benson has an infant son in her care - she's no flight risk. And the charges against her are false and ridiculous-"

"DNA is not ridiculous." The man cut in angrily.

"Sergeant Benson has dealt with false accusations before - we'll clear this one up just like the previous ones." Rita kept herself calm.

"Sounds like we have a lot to hear - at _trial._" The judge gave them both a stern look. "Bail will be set at $100,000. Until such time that amount is posted, Ms. Benson will remain in custody."

The gavel made Olivia jump again. Her ears heard the only thing she needed them to. She turned toward Noah as he cried for her. Nick tried to make his way to the front, but couldn't. Olivia was swept out the door after hearing Rita's words.

"You'll be out in an hour tops."

Rita turned to Nick after the doors had closed.

"Barba posted Liv's bail. I just called him." Nick said quietly, trying to console Noah.

"Then let's go get her."

* * *

><p>Amanda sat in the apartment of a man she'd met years before - Ron Thatcher's partner.<p>

"Hey, do you happen to have any idea why Thatcher needed evidence from Olivia Benson's rape kit?" She asked him as casually as she could.

He grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge as she leaned against the counter. Daniel shook his head.

"There's no reason he'd go digging into an evidence box we didn't need." He joined Amanda in leaning against his kitchen counter.

"Do you know if he's got any history with the gang BX9?" She almost whispered. She had to make it seem she was making conversation, not prying for answers. She'd told him she just wanted more background on his partner.

Daniel thought for a couple minutes. "His daughter dropped out of school couple years ago when she started dating some guy. He was involved in a gang, yeah. Ron was pissed. Talked about it all the time. But he couldn't do anything to get her away from him."

Amanda was careful not to move her cell phone in her pocket. The record button blinked red as her brain spun. Thatcher's daughter. She'd been the reason they'd been able to strong arm Ron. She swallowed, remembering where her sergeant sat. Her mind flickered back to the arraignment she knew had taken place that morning.

Amanda missed what the man in front of her said, but her phone caught every word. She was thinking about everything again. She'd told herself she wouldn't anymore. She knew she had to focus. But she just couldn't.

Daniel excused himself for a phone call he took after the ringing that startled Amanda back into reality. "It's Ron's mom. Could you - ?"

Amanda nodded, grateful for the opportunity to bow out. "You have my number. If there's anything you need, give me a call."

She forced a grin as she left, already pressing her own phone to her ear.

* * *

><p>Nick didn't even hear his phone as he waited for the officer to return with Olivia. Rita shifted her weight as she balanced a whimpering Noah on her hip. She could feel that the child shared the same anxiety she did, except his was strangely deeper. Even without knowing what was actually happening, he had a deeper, darker fear than Rita or even Olivia could.<p>

Nick jumped into action the moment Olivia's eyes looked back in his from behind the bars. He took her arm gently as the guard slid the door closed behind them. Olivia leaned over to sign the paperwork and retrieved her things in a small bag as she took a deep breath. Nick could feel her exhaustion as he asked the question she'd always hated.

"You ok, Liv?"

She glanced at him with a small nod. Another lie.

Rita approached her immediately.

"Who?" Olivia asked as she reached out for her son. Noah pushed his head into the crook of her shoulder as soon as her arms enclosed him.

"Barba." Rita answered quietly.

Olivia lost what she was going to say as she stroked Noah's back. She was at peace while at war - in the eye of the hurricane. It felt like nothing was wrong when Noah was against her chest.

Rita and Nick said nothing as they watched Olivia relax. It sank into their hearts, mixing to create a feeling like none they'd ever felt, a feeling where terror and relief melted together.


	7. Chapter 7

Olivia was quiet as she held her son close. The lump swelling in her throat made it almost impossible to speak, and she was grateful she didn't have to. Rita and Nick escorted her out the back, well aware that the press had gotten wind of her case.

Olivia stepped out the back door and blinked into the thousands of flashes that hit her at once. It didn't matter which way she went. They were going to get her picture anyway. She put her hand on Noah's head gently, keeping him calm as he clung to her shoulder.

"Sergeant Benson! Do you have anything to say?"

"Prosecution says trial starts in four days!"

"Talk to us, Benson!"

"What happened?!"

Rita held Olivia's arm protectively, telling each of them to back up and give them space. The door of the car awaiting them shut out the yelling, only to yield a more frightening sound: a phone. Olivia removed her phone that she'd gotten back, answering with a sinking stomach. It was Noah's case worker.

_"Sergeant Benson. We need the address you're staying at through trial. An ACS worker will be by within the hour to pick Noah up. He will be allowed no contact with you in your situation."_

The woman's voice used to be a comfort to Olivia, but now it made the lump in her throat grow larger.

She tried to swallow and almost choked. "Will I have a chance to get him back?"

She kept her voice steady and calm, even when her heart was screaming. The warmth of her son against her was the only comfort she'd found in the past day and a half. If he was gone, she wasn't sure what she was fighting for.

Nick gave Rita a look of concern as the car rolled toward Nick's place, where the rest of the team had started the day - where Olivia already silently agreed to stay.

_"You will appear in front of a judge to plead your case if you're acquitted of the charges against you. You'll have a lot of trust to gain back."_ Her tone was cynical.

Olivia felt her eyes beginning to blur as she swallowed her tears. "I understand."

She hit the end button before the woman on the other end could say anything further. Olivia dropped her phone, holding Noah tighter. Nick said nothing. Rita began gently.

"Barba is with the team."

"It's BX9." Nick added bluntly. She had to know.

Olivia's eyes widened. She _should_ have known.

"The last threat they made against me was almost 6 months ago. Why would they wait so long?" She challenged.

"Maybe they were waiting to see if Lewis would do the job." Nick spoke regretfully. He hated bringing Lewis up, but he and everyone else knew that he was a key player in it all.

"They got your DNA from your rape kit."

It hurt her physically to hear that the pain she'd gone through to pin Lewis could be the same pain that'd bring her down.

"The detective who checked the box out, Ron Thatcher, has a daughter who's involved in the gang." Nick continued, pressing on to try and distract her from the fact that she was going to lose her child - again.

He knew that had been the call. He didn't have to ask. He could see it.

"Well then can't we just get him to talk?" Olivia furrowed her brow, everything hitting her at once as she tried to understand.

"He was shot to death in his apartment. That's where the trail stops. The 6-3 was working on the shooting, but now 1PP has it. And information won't come out of NYPD headquarters unless there's someone who's willing to leak it."

Rita watched Olivia digest the information. She watched her world collapsing.

"Tucker will be pretty strict about that." Olivia replied, doubting her own words a little.

Something in Tucker's eyes had been different as he'd arrested her. He had looked almost regretful.

* * *

><p>Amanda and Fin checked their guns at the entrance, signed in, and subjected themselves to a pat-down to enter Riker's. Carlos was glaring at them, smiling slyly as they approached the cell he sat in.<p>

"Shouldn't I have my lawyer in here?" He continued to grin, feeling clever. He knew what they were there for. He'd heard.

"Wouldn't want him to see what we do to you to get you to talk." Fin shrugged, keeping his anger momentarily inside him.

Carlos shrugged. "I ain't got anything you want."

Amanda shook her head. "We don't need anything on you. We just want to know about Ron Thatcher's daughter - Jaime."

Carlos shrugged a second time.

"Your buddies are worried about her, Carlos. She's missing. No one can find her." Fin added from in the corner where he stood against the wall, arms crossed.

Amanda heard the bluff and played upon it easily. "Her dad's dead, so we can't ask him. Can't find anyone else, so we figured you're our best bet." She folded her hands on top of the table.

Carlos looked at them skeptically. "You two walk in here and expect me to think you're looking for a BX9 whore? Come on. I know what you want from me. You're here about your cop friend Benson. Real piece of ass."

Amanda glanced back at Fin.

"Why would you think that?" Fin challenged.

"We're not allowed to investigate cases involving our own. We are here -" she made her words forceful "- to find the missing daughter of an NYPD officer."

* * *

><p>Munch worked with Barba as the trail grew colder by the minute. Each file blurred together. There was nothing to prove it was a setup. Nothing to prove BX9 had done anything.<p>

Barba picked up the last folder on the coffee table. He began to read aloud the list that Rollins had made the past night.

"Sarah Connelly has no relatives living in the area besides her son, who she killed."

Munch turned to him. "How'd she escape again?"

Barba stopped reading. "Report says that she got the back door of the van open and bolted just as it was moving away from a red light."

Munch joined Barba where he stood and glanced down at the file.

"Says here the two officers in the van said she was gone before they could even call 911." Barba finished.

"No one can disappear in New York City just like that - especially a prisoner in an orange jumpsuit. There must've been a car. Did anyone look into pictures, license plate numbers, anything?" Munch questioned.

Barba picked up the file that accompanied the escape report. "It says nothing in here about a car. There's no way they looked into it." They both stood in silence.

"There has to be surveillance somewhere. Escapees don't just disappear like that." Munch shook his head as he spoke. "You have a computer?"

Barba and Munch then just stared at each other. It was like until that moment, they had no idea how real the repercussions of their actions were. If they failed to clear Olivia's name - maybe even if they did - they could lose their jobs, their pension, and their freedom. Barba began to nod slowly, ready to risks it.

"Are you willing to go to prison?" He asked absentmindedly, knowing that's exactly what Olivia faced along with them. He wasn't going to let his friend fight that alone.

Munch nodded. "For Olivia - yeah. If she's afraid of it, we have to be right there in the gutter with her."

* * *

><p>Nick's phone rang just as Rita pulled to the curb of his home. Olivia quietly thanked her and got out with Nick and Noah, watching her drive away. As they stepped in the front door, Nick hung up.<p>

"Amanda and Fin were at Riker's to talk to Carlos." He paused.

Olivia glanced at Noah, lost in his gaze. She was losing him over something she never did.

"Liv." He brought her back.

"What'd they get?" She asked, trying to make it seem like that was what she really cared about.

"Nothing. Though she said he slipped just once - said something to the effect that he didn't think Jaime would spook after her father was killed. 1PP has kept Thatcher's death quiet to keep from comprising your case. Keep the media focused on you instead."

Olivia shook her head. "So that just means that we know they did it. There's nothing he said that helps us at all."

Nick turned back from where he tossed his papers. He closed the distance between them until he was so close he could hear her breathing. She looked so afraid.

"You are not going down for this, Liv."

Olivia just kept looking into his eyes, seeing every emotion he'd felt in the past two days. She knew he could see hers too. Her eyes began blurring themselves again.

"They're taking him away." She tried and failed to keep her voice steady.

Nick felt his own tears spring into his eyes as he put a hand to Noah's back. "For now."

He shook his head, refusing to believe even the slightest possibility remained that she'd never get him back.

* * *

><p>Amanda and Fin joined Munch and Barba as they combed through the entire city's surveillance fleet of cameras, every front apartment entrance, hotel entrance, and traffic camera. Barba paced as he called the widow of Ron Thatcher. He had to find Jaime. Two hours passed. More. That was two hours closer to the trial.<p>

Grand jury selection was already underway. Barba knew that, though no one had told him. No one had to.

Fin shook his head as he clicked on another round of dead-end photos. "We're going to need someone on the inside of this investigation to get us what we need. There's no way we can find out what really happened if the only things in their reports are released just to satisfy the press."

They all knew he was right.

"Melinda might know." Munch sat up straighter.

"Get her on the phone." Barba pointed as he waited for Ron's wife to answer. She didn't.

"This Jamie we're looking for is like some phantom we're chasing. I can't get ahold of her mother or her."

Amanda looked up from her work. "I can call his partner. He should know something about her."

Barba nodded. "Good. We get anything on those cameras?"

"Not yet."

* * *

><p>Olivia let Noah's warmth spread through her. She knew she'd be missing it for the next few days, weeks, months maybe. As she looked at Nick, she relaxed. She felt that nothing could destroy her. He was safety. He was strength.<p>

The knock on the door startled both of them.

Nick opened it as Olivia gave Noah a kiss in the top of his head, stroking his cheek gently as she spoke to him softly, hurriedly.

"I'll see you soon, Noah. Everything's going to be ok. I promise I'll get you back."

The ACS workers entered and handed Nick a piece of paper, directly addressing Olivia as they entered.

"Hand the child to me." The woman said.

It made Olivia feel more of a criminal than when she'd been cuffed to a cell. She did so, letting them take her son from her arms. It couldn't be happening. Not again.

The door shut as Olivia felt the first of her tears streaming down her face. Nick dropped the paper on the floor, reaching for her and taking her in his arms. Feeling all of her made him think it wasn't going to be easy to lose her, no matter how hard the fight to keep her was. Olivia closed her eyes, keeping her tears silent. She kept Nick in a vice grip. He could feel it, but it didn't hurt him.

It was real. It was all real.


End file.
